The present invention relates generally to a method for forming a globe map on a rubber basketball.
Because the basketball is spherical, the basketball printed with a globe map is an educational object in that the player can possibly learn the world geographic knowledge when playing it.
The conventional methods for forming a figure on a basketball include:
a) After having been produced, the basketball is applied with surface finishes or paints and then is put into a basketball mold. Then the basketball mold with the basketball is heated and thus there will be a colored polymeric film layer left on the surface of the basketball after the solvent of the surface finishes or paints is volatilized. This method is usually applied, but can only produce simple figures rather than exquisite and fine figures. PA1 b) The second method is to apply a cellophane which is printed with a figure to be adhered on a basketball. After a heat treatment, the figure is separated from the cellophane and is re-printed on the surface of the basketball. A small figure such as a trademark can use this method, whereas, because the basketball is spherical, a large figure such as a globe map is not suitable to be produced by this method. PA1 c) The third method is artificial painting. Obviously, this method cannot meet the industrial demand of mass production. PA1 B) The exquisite figures cannot satisfactorily be formed on the basketball. PA1 C) The accurate figures cannot satisfactorily be formed on the basketball. PA1 D) The figures including many colors cannot satisfactorily be formed on the basketball.
To sum up, the disadvantages of the conventional methods include: p1 A) The large figures cannot satisfactorily be formed on the basketball.
It is therefore attempted by the Applicant to deal with the above situation encountered by the prior art.